Book Club Ideas for Poppy by Avi
Poppy by Avi
Looking for you next book club pick? If your interest is piqued, here is a glimpse into our most recent children’s book club. Our family enjoyed reading the book, Poppy, by Avi as part of our homeschool book club this month. It is a great read aloud book for children ages 4+. Reading Level 2nd- 5th grade.
Here’s a secret… If you want your children to become better listeners keep their hands busy. Check out our recommended quiet activities to do while listening to audiobooks.
Benefits of Book Clubs
As an avid reader and lover of books, I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in a homeschool book club when my friend suggested it. There are multiple benefits for participating in book clubs. They foster creative thinking, improved comprehension, greater discussion and a deeper engagement with stories.
Throw in fun and engaging activities, food, and decorations…what’s truly not to love! The options are endless for types of book clubs including: Child/Parent Book Clubs, Homeschool Book Clubs, Mother/ Daughter Book Clubs, or Child-led Book Clubs by age.
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Poppy by Avi
Poppy
Children, who love animal stories, will especially enjoy Poppy. This fantasy book follows the adventures of a little mouse named Poppy, who courageously defies the tyrannical owl, Mr. Ocax, in her attempt to find a new home for her family. This story is part of a series of books written by Avi, a popular children’s author who has written over 70 books.
(FYI In the first scene, one mouse gets eaten by an owl, which sensitive kids may find difficult. Although, it didn’t phase my children ages 3-9)
Honestly, one of our favorite parts is creating and planning the theme around the book. Here are some of our ideas inspired by Poppy. Details include: activities, food, décor, field trips, and discussion questions!
Food Ideas
Owl veggies tray, strawberry mice and “poppy”seed muffins (hiding an earring in one of the muffins is another fun take on the book.)
Decorations
Décor
We chose simple woodland decorations by displaying our collection of feathers, hawk and pigeon claws, pinecones, and hand-picked daffodils from our yard. On the day of our party, the weather was windy and cool so we opted to do half of the activities inside, but a picnic outdoors would be a lovely option if the weather was warm.
Activity
We participated in a hands-on STEM activity dissecting owl pellets. We ordered our pellets ahead of time from Owl Brand Discovery Kits. In conjunction we also watched a video of an owl casting a pellet and learned about owl diets and habitats. Here is the full guide to dissecting owl pellets including helpful links and videos.
Other activity options could include: making earrings, playing a game of cat and mouse or in this case “owl and mouse”, or partaking in an art project.
Discussion Questions
Cootie Catchers
Since we had a large group of children, we broke the group of 15 into three smaller groups for the discussion segment, with a parent helping facilitate each group. In an attempt to add an additional fun element into the discussion, we made and utilized cutie catchers as a tool to ask the children the following open-ended questions.
Book Club Questions
How does Poppy’s adventure change her?
What is your favorite scene from the book?
Who was your favorite character? Why?
What 3 words describe Poppy?
Why was Mr. Ocax scared?
Who is the main character or protagonist? Antagonist?
Would this book make a good movie? Why or Why not?
Field Trip
To coincide with our book club topic we planned an outing to our local bird sanctuary. Many nature centers or bird sanctuaries have live birds of prey exhibits. If you are local to Michigan here are two suggested places we have visited.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary: A sanctuary that rescues injured birds of prey, including owls. It also has several walking trails and you can purchase corn to feed ducks, geese, and swans.
Kalamazoo Nature Center: Several birds of prey are on exhibit, including a Screech Owl. Extensive trails and interactive displays are located on site.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Birds of Prey Exhibit
We hope this has motivated and inspired you to read Poppy or start your own book club? Remember to pin for later. You may enjoy these featured posts.
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